1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of musical drums, and more particularly, to an improved counterhoop employed over a conga or a similar type of drumshell.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conga drum, unlike most conventional types of drums, such as tom-toms and snares, is played by employing the hands to strike the drumhead at various points along its surface. In contrast, drumsticks are used to strike the batter head of a tom-tom or snare drum to produce the desired sound.
The origin of the drum generally dates back many thousands of years. The uniqueness of the conga drum lies in the use of the hands, more specifically the fingers, rather than sticks or mallets, to beat upon the drumhead to produce the sounds. However, the one significant drawback to playing a drum with the hands is the constant physical trauma the hands experience as a result of having to constantly beat upon the drumhead. More precisely, it is usually the palm portion and the back area of the hand adjacent to the fingers that will experience the greatest discomfort.
The use of rigid counterhoops in the construction of the modern conga drum, particularly the widely employed metal counterhoop, has created a problem which the present invention seeks to resolve. Generally, counterhoops used with congas are positioned around the drumshell below the surface of the drumhead. The counterhoop is positioned in this manner largely to remove it as an obstacle to the hands, which constantly beat upon the drumhead, particularly the perimeter areas of the head, to produce the drum sounds. If positioned like a counterhoop employed around the perimeter edges of a drumhead in the manner of those used with a conventional tom-tom or snare drum, the hoop would clearly interfere with the play of the instrument. Specifically, the hands, in an effort to beat upon the drumhead, would also be forced to strike the hoop, which is made of a much less forgiving material than the drumhead.
Even counterhoops that are positioned slightly below the surface of the drumhead continue to pose the same problem. Because of the location and movement of the hands when playing the conga, the palm portion of the hands are constantly striking the counterhoop, even when the hoop is positioned lower. Over time, the constant banging of the palms against the rigid counterhoop can cause severe pain and discomfort to the hands. Naturally, this will also interfere with the proper and effective playing of the instrument.
Certain efforts have been made to correct the problem. For example, attempts have been made to vary the shape of the counterhoop, i.e. give it a rounded or more curved exterior. Positioning the counterhoop at various locations along the side of the drumshell has also been tried. Even employing a flexible or more resilient material for the counterhoop, such as hardened rubber or some sort of polymer has been attempted. Yet, this softer and more resilient material does not provide the counterhoop the degree of rigidity and strength necessary to properly tension and maintain the tensioning of the drumhead.
In an effort to remedy this serious problem, an improved version of a counterhoop is formed employing a conventional flat shaped counterhoop set within a liquid resin which, when cured, forms a resilient shell around the hoop to which it bonds. The resilient shell has a flat inner wall and a convex or curved outer wall. The bonded components serve to provide the strength and rigidity required of a counterhoop to properly and effectively function and the resiliency and design to alleviate the obstacle and the discomfort to the hands that is normally associated with the playing of the instrument.